Hide Article Text (OCR)
THE OHIO RAILWAY DISASTER.The- New York Herald of December 80 gives an account of the terrible railway accident at Ashtabula, Ohio. Ifcsays:-.‘/ One of the moat furious Bnowetormaever known in this vicinity had been raging nearly all day, and deep drifts made everyRoadway, impassable. Be severe fras the storm that very fefr of the business places in Ashtabula kept open doors after four or five o'clock in the evening, and the trains from all directions frere several hours behind time. At about eight o’clock p.m. the whole village was aroused by the general fire alarm, and the word soon spread tjiat passenger train No. 5. from the. East had gone: through the high bridge over Ashtabula’ frith M large number of passengers, and that the whole train was on fire. A lurid glare in that vicinity confirmed the report, and in spite of • the terrible night nearly the whole village and all of the fire engines were soon en route to the depot, which is, situated about one mile distant from the village. The train wasdue at Ashtabula at a q uarter-pasfc five, and was nearlyit* luthree hours late.. It* had eleven cars, including one drawing-room car, three sleepers, one smoking car, two first-class coaches, and four baggage and express cars. It was drawn by two engines—the Socratesahead, followed by the Columbia, Ne. 360. Daniel Maguire, engineer of the Socrates,, relates , that the train was running at a slow rate, and just as they had, fairly crossed the high bridge, which is not mere than forty rods distant from the depot, they felt a violent jar, and in an instant the coupling between the Socrates and Columbia had broken, and the whole train was precipitated from the bridge into the river some 65ft. below. The bridge ov£r Ashtabula river was an iron truss bridge, and had been in use about eleven years. It ia supposed that the heavy droughts must have thrown the cars from the track, causing the cold irons to snap. The horrible scene below beggars all description. The span is about 100ft. wide, and through the space between flows the river about four or five feet deep, at this time thickly covered with ice. Into this space were the eleven cars and one engine and tender precipitated. The fall of 60ft. of course broke through the icy covering and shivered the ears. The seven passenger coaches altogether contained about 165 adults; besides a number of children. Most of those in the forward car are saved, with injuries more or less severe. Within a very few moments after the crash the flames burst out simultaneously from nearly every car, and before, help was at hand the flames were striving with the icy torrent as to which should devour the greater number of human lives. Mr. Frank Balk-
Newspaper Details
London Mid Surrey Times and General Observer
London, Middlesex, GB
Sat, Jan 13, 1877
Page 6
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
OH, USA 10 Sep 2021
Other Publications Near London, Middlesex
Bingleys Journal
Arminian Magazine
London Daily Mail
London Stars and Stripes
London Daily Universal Register
